At a time when the Western Balkans often talks about European integration, but less often about concrete results, the message from the Adria Future Summit in Tivar was direct: without real regional cooperation, the path to the EU remains only on paper.
The General Secretary of the Council for Regional Cooperation, Amer Kapetanovic, emphasized that the cooperation between the countries of the region is not a political luxury, but a condition to be taken seriously by Brussels. According to him, in a fragmented geopolitical climate and with growing economic uncertainty, the Balkan countries should choose coherence and not isolation.
“The road to the EU goes through the neighbor’s backyard,” Kapetanovic said, translating integration into a practical test of cooperation rather than a contest of statements.
The focus, according to him, should be shifted from rhetoric to concrete implementation. From free mobility and digital integration, to the green transition and the creation of a more integrated regional market. The message was clear: investors don’t follow speeches, they follow results.
In this context, the role of the RCC remains key to turning political agreements into concrete projects, especially through the Common Regional Market and the initiatives of the Berlin Process, which aim to reduce barriers and gradually approach the EU common market.
The Adria Future Summit, which takes place from April 22 to 24 in Tivar, has gathered political leaders, business representatives and international organizations to discuss sustainable development, innovation and investment in the region.
Following the summit, special attention will be paid to the role of young people in regional cooperation and challenges such as disinformation and media education, topics that are increasingly considered part of the “infrastructure” of European integration.
The message coming out of Tivat is less diplomatic and more practical: the EU is not achieved with joint declarations, but with joint results.
